i would part the sea
by ohmytheon
Summary: What is supposed to be a wonderful day that finally joins their family together as one becomes a harrowing moment where Roy and Riza come face-to-face with the possibility of losing one another - or maybe someone even more important to them.
1. Excitement

**Author's Notes:** So someone asked me to write a fanfic about a Royai wedding where an assassination attempt on Roy's life would occur. They told me that it didn't have to be in my universe, but then I thought, Why not? Wouldn't that make it even more intense? I mean, in mine, they've got a son. So yeah, well, it got too long, like everything I write, and then I wanted to switch POVs, so I figured I might as well post what I've got.

In case anyone is curious or hasn't read the drabble where I had Roy proposing to Riza, it's Drabble 100 ("Until the Day") in my 100 Royai Drabble series, "you pull me through time", though I don't think it's necessary to read in order to understand this one. Just know that they've had a son for about five years and didn't decide to get married or even openly be together until Roy was Fuhrer. (Also, will I ever be happy with their son's name? I don't know. But I jumped through hoops to find this one.) I based the title off a quote from "A Beautiful Wedding" by Jamie McGuire.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, except for the OCs, and that is a bummer indeed.

* * *

 **i would part the sea**  
 _part one: excitement_

* * *

In all honesty, Riza was still uncertain if this was a dream or not. After all, she was getting married today – to the Fuhrer of Amestris, her first best friend, her first crush, her first love, her greatest heartbreak, the man she had followed for so many years and protected with her life, and everything in between. She had to hand it to Roy; he certainly knew how to make an impression. She hadn't been able to leave him even if she tried. Now they were taking one more step together in their lives, a move that she had dared not even dream about.

As a girl, Riza had entertained herself with the idea that she would one day get married, but she hadn't really thought much past wearing a white dress. Of course, considering the circumstances, she wasn't even qualified to wear a white dress anymore. Despite the fact that she didn't really care much for tradition, she had decided on wearing a light blue gown that would complement the dark blue of Roy's military dress uniform. He had wanted to wear a suit, but being the Fuhrer, there were some expectations and photo ops and the list could go on.

Standing alone in the room, Riza tugged at her dress, trying to decide last minute if she wanted to ditch the veil. She hadn't wanted one, pointing out that it blocked her view, but Rebecca had somehow managed to convince her otherwise. Honestly, Rebecca had helped plan the wedding almost more than Riza had, but her best friend had been far too over the moon about the proposal. She'd taken on her duties as the maid of honor with gusto, enlisting help from all the other women in their lives and doing everything she could to put Riza at ease.

Apparently, even Riza was prone to the case to pre-wedding jitters, even though she had committed her life to Roy so many years ago.

A knock on the door caused Riza to glance back around. "Yes?"

Rebecca poked her head inside. "Someone wants to wish you good luck before the ceremony."

"As long as it's not Havoc trying to sneak pictures of me in my dress for Roy again," Riza responded dryly. They had already had a few debacles that involved taking Havoc's camera away from him and kicking him out. There was nothing quite like having a man tumble out of a dress rack when you were getting your final measurements for your wedding dress taken. Rebecca had chased him three blocks for that.

"I'm a better bodyguard than to fall for his shenanigans," Rebecca scoffed.

"And yet he somehow convinced you to marry him," Riza pointed out with a light smile on her face.

Rebecca rolled her eyes playfully, but she didn't fight back about that one. Instead, she looked back at whoever was at the door with her and nodded her head. "Go on in."

When a pair of dark eyes and a mop of black hair appeared in the doorway, hanging back shyly, all Riza could do was smile softly, feeling every bit of her once hardened heart melt into warmth. With Rebecca ushering him forward again, Riza watched as her son meandered into the room, eyes cast downward and blush tinting his pale cheeks. It was the same exact look Roy got whenever he wanted to surprise her with something. As soon as the door shut behind him though, he rushed forward and threw his body at her, wrapping his small arms around her legs and burying his face in the skirt of her dress.

"Oh, what's this for?" Riza asked.

"Aunt Becca told me that you were anxious and you always hug me when I'm anxious," Aidan answered, so straightforward with his thoughts. He had gained the habit of using big words that he heard adults use, listening to other people talk and then hounding Falman for certain words definitions and how to spell them. He certainly got his bookworm nature from Roy, though she quite enjoyed reading as well.

Riza smoothed her son's hair down. It was an absolute disaster. They'd combed it earlier, but he had already messed it up, probably by running his fingers through it like Roy did. She imagined that he'd copied his father's antics from watching Roy while he got ready for the ceremony. "Thank you. I definitely needed a hug from you."

Aidan peered up at her curiously. "Why are you scared? Mustang says that you're the bravest person ever."

At those words, Riza's heart skipped a beat. So many things had changed over the past few months, but it was difficult to explain the differences to a child. He still slipped back into the habit of referring to Roy by his title or surname, sometimes even "sir" to emulate her, and it took the breath out of her every single time. When Aidan was little and they were alone together, he had called Roy "dad", but they had realized quickly that he couldn't do that in public. Teaching him to stop calling Roy "dad" or "father" had been extraordinarily painful – it had to have been confusing for him, being so young – but she found it hurt even more when he fell back into the habit.

"Maybe I'm not scared," Riza said, bending down so that she was at his level. God, he looked so much like Roy that it made her heart want to burst. How they had ever thought they could keep this a secret was laughable at best. They had done everything that they could, but in the end, they had only been able to do so much in order to protect their son from the wolves that was the military and media. "I'm…excited. That can cause people to be nervous too. I never thought this day would come."

"You should know better," Aidan pointed out in a tone that broke no nonsense. How so very like her. He may have gotten his looks and bookworm tendencies from his father, but everything else he got from her. She raised an eyebrow at him. "You made a promise. And it's…Dad's dream. He says he likes to dream big, and that you're the biggest dream to ever come true. He loves you a lot."

Riza kissed her son on the top of the head. "He loves you too, so very much, and it's both of our dreams. Not just to get married, but to be a family."

"We are a family," Aidan said, putting his hands on her face.

Riza looked into her son's eyes. They were so open, every little bit of how he's feeling available for her to see, but she could remember far too many times when his eyes would be guarded, his thoughts closed off to the world. Those were the times when they would be out in public together and he couldn't act like Roy was his father. They tried to make it a game for him, so that it wouldn't hurt or confuse him, but whenever they came home without Roy, she would have to watch as her son fell into fits of silence and play halfheartedly with the toys that Roy had bought him.

He did it to Roy more often than not, which cut him to the quick, but Roy had been quick to understand that their son was merely protecting himself from getting hurt. Hiding his feelings and thoughts towards was one of the few ways that Riza had learned to guard her heart when she had been a child. It was only natural that her son would be the same way, though it had practically killed her to watch him harden beyond his years, especially because they tried to do so much to bring light and happiness into his life. A few times though, like when he woke up from a nightmare and found that Roy wasn't in the bedroom with her, he would close himself off from her and that cut her even further.

This wasn't just Roy's dream anymore. It was hers as well. Not the wedding and all the fanfare so much as these quiet moments when it was just them and they could be who they were meant to be and simply be together. They could have gotten married in a courthouse for all she cared, as long as they were together, but it wasn't every day that the Fuhrer got married, and so the pomp came with the dream.

"How's your father holding up?"

"Good!" Aidan replied cheerfully. "He's only told Uncle Ed that he's going to light him on fire once."

Riza chuckled. The fact that their son called the former Fullmetal Alchemist an uncle was humorous in itself, but it was especially funny picturing the scene. Havoc was technically supposed to be the one to help Roy get ready for the wedding, being the best man and all, but he'd been forced to step out in order to perform last minute security checks before the ceremony began. Edward had been all too willing to step up to the plate to help in Havoc's stead, most likely to get a few more jabs in, being "experienced" in marriage life.

There was another knock on the door and Rebecca's voice calling out, "It's almost time!" letting them know that their pep talk was over.

Grabbing a comb, Riza did what she could to tame her son's unruly hair. Aidan made a few faces at her, but he didn't fight or protest. She knew that she was lucky that he didn't struggle with her more, although he had been excited to wear the kid's tuxedo that Roy and he had gone shopping for. "You remember what to do?"

Aidan nodded his head. "Stand by Mu— by Dad. I get to stand by Dad, just like we practiced."

Riza smiled and placed her forehead against his. "Good, good." After pulling back, she nudged him towards the door and then stood up straight. "Now go to Aunt Becca. She'll take you to Uncle Jean." The poor kid honestly had more non-blood-related family members, but it warmed her heart to know that so many people had taken places in his life when they had little to no other family to speak of.

Before he walked out the door though, Aidan stopped and turned back around. "Mom?" His voice was a little hesitant, something not like him. She looked at him questioningly and he gave her the same lopsided grin that Roy had patented. "I'm excited too."

Riza stared at the door after it shut and left her alone in the room again. She realized that the nervousness that had been tugging at the edge of her mind was gone. It turned out that all she had needed was a visit from the brightest light in her world. Yes, today was going to be a day for the books. It was going to involve a lot more pomp and fanfare than she wanted, but at the end of the day, all the grandness and publicity mattered nothing compared to the fact that she would get to spend it with the most important people in her life.


	2. Fear

**Author's Notes:** So originally this was only supposed to be a two-parter, but then this got way out of hand and I got way too into it - and then I found a perfect spot to end it to make a three part fic. Because deep down I'm evil. Enjoy! Thanks for reading!

* * *

 **i would part the sea**  
 _part two: fear_

* * *

"If you don't relax, you're gonna have a heart attack, Chief," Havoc hissed discreetly from his position.

Roy shot his best man a quick glower and then looked back as the last bridesmaid and groomsman made their way down the aisle. Breda gave him a thumbs up, to which Roy nodded his head gratefully, but that still didn't make him feel any better – or worse. He watched as Breda let go of Gracia Hughes so that she could take her spot next to Princess May Chang and then he stepped in line next to Alphonse.

When his eyes cast a furtive glance throughout the crowd, his heart began to beat wildly. There were so many people, some he was almost certain that he didn't possibly know past reputation. Honestly, this whole thing was bigger than either of them had wanted, but the idea that the new Fuhrer of Amestris could get away with a simple ceremony had been a pipedream. It was the talk of the nation. Everyone loved the idea of the Fuhrer being a family man, as a former Fuhrer had proven so well.

Sure, the man had turned out to be a homunculus and his fake son also a diabolical homunculus, but as far as the general public of Amestris was concerned, King Bradley and Selim Bradley were every day humans that had loved one another as a family and sacrificed themselves for their country, instead of the opposite way around. If those were the examples Roy had to lead by, well, he could be the family man people wanted to see.

He could be the husband and father that he was supposed to be.

It was only when his eyes dropped to the young boy at his side that Roy's pulse began to steady again. His little Bug was five, just now able to reach up to his waist. His hair that Riza had no doubt tried to tame before the ceremony began was already beginning to fall into its typical messy pattern. When Aidan had shyly asked if Roy would slick his hair back like his, Roy had been ecstatic and had done so – but then the moment he'd started to run his fingers through his own hair while pacing the room, Aidan had done the same. Like father, like son.

Edward wasn't wrong about Roy being anxious though. It had nothing to do with the fact that there were so many people around to witness the wedding. It wasn't that he was worried because he had found a few gray hairs this morning. It didn't even have anything to do with the idea that something might go wrong. The moment he had finished getting ready and caught sight of himself in his dress blues, Roy's brain had decided to toss around the idea that Riza might not actually want to get married to him.

 _"_ _She had a kid with you, didn't she?"_ had been Edward's dry attempt at comforting his concerns.

Looking down at that kid now, Roy felt as if all his fears were nothing more than silly thoughts. Riza wanted to marry him – she had agreed to follow him a thousand times again and again in so many different ways – she wanted to be his wife. But more than that, she wanted to be a family just as much as he did. This wedding was more than about the two of them becoming husband and wife. It was more than some publicity to be touted around in the newspapers and on the radio. This day was for their son perhaps even more than it was for them.

Roy would never again have to explain to his son why he wasn't home for the past three days. Riza would not have to gently correct him whenever he slipped up and called Roy by anything other than his title or surname. He wouldn't be forced to pretend that the truth that everyone knew wasn't real. His son had been so utterly strong during these years. Perhaps his struggle was just another sin on Roy's and Riza's plates, but this time, they would be able to carry it together.

As if sensing eyes on him, Aidan peered up at him and a goofy lopsided grin appeared on his face, one that Roy couldn't help but respond back with. It was so strange seeing that grin on someone else's face when he could recognize it in his own reflection so easily. In a way, looking at his son was an awful lot like looking into some sort of time traveling mirror. But instead of that grin hiding secrets like his normally did, it showed happiness and excitement for what was to come.

A simple grin from his son was all the boost in confidence and emotional support that Roy needed.

The sudden change in music caught Roy's attention. When the doors swung open, everyone in the room took the opportunity the stand, but none of that mattered. For all he knew, there wasn't any music playing and there was no one else in the room, not when he caught sight of his fiancée.

Riza was wearing a light blue gown. He hadn't even known if she would wear white or not, but when he saw her dress, he realized that it complemented his own uniform. Of course she would do something like that. Her hair was down, blonde tresses cascading over her shoulders and down her back. She'd begun to grow it out again after finding out that she was pregnant over five years ago. He loved her hair either way, short, up, down, that awkward middle length everyone teased her about, but he did enjoy running his fingers through her hair. She had on a veil that hid her face a little, but he could still see the small smile on her face as she walked towards him.

Not for the first time in his life, Roy blessed Marcoh for allowing him to use the Philosopher's Stone to restore his vision, but this time it was for an entirely selfish reason. Because Riza in all her wedding glory was a stunning and godly sight to see indeed.

It was only when he felt Aidan getting antsy at his side that Roy was able to tear his eyes away from her. "Mom looks so pretty."

"She does, doesn't she?" Roy murmured in response, his heart pounding away in his chest. He felt overwhelmed by the same giddiness that he had felt the day that Riza had told him that she was pregnant with their child. It was uncontainable and he felt like he might burst with elation. The time it took for her to reach him was far too long when all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms, kiss her as deeply as possible, and forget this entire thing.

When he looked up again, Roy caught eyes with Grumman, who was the one walking Riza down the aisle. Roy had honestly never seen the man look so utterly carefree and happy before. Grumman ended up being more nostalgic than Roy had ever given him credit before, taking joy in being a great grandfather and being able to give his granddaughter away on her wedding day. It was funny really. After all those years of Grumman teasing Roy about marrying his granddaughter, Roy was finally making the old man's wish come true.

Finally, Riza stood with him. In his eagerness, Roy took her hands in his before Falman, the officiant for their wedding, began to even speak. He smiled somewhat shyly at her before reaching forward so that he could delicately pull the veil back from her face. Luckily, he had taken a deep breath beforehand because looking at her now in all her radiant beauty was enough to stop his heart. She wasn't wearing anymore make up or jewelry more than normal, but for some reason, in this moment, she reminded him of the sun.

The ceremony began in a blur for Roy. He did his best to listen to Falman and even appear to be attentive, but his eyes kept dragging back to Riza. For her part, she didn't look too distracted, but then they would catch each other's eyes and she would blush a little and his heart was jump again. From behind him, he thought he heard Edward snickering. Roy honestly couldn't care less. With Riza in front of him and Aidan at his side, Roy felt like for the first time in a long time everything made perfect sense.

Right in the middle of Falman speaking, just as Roy was about to give his vows, a sudden sneeze interrupted them. After casting a wry smile at Riza, Roy pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and began to bend down so that he could help rub his allergy-prone son's nose. "Didn't take your medicine, did–?"

A zipping sound rang in Roy's ears, quickly followed by the sound of something smacking into the wall behind him. A familiar but out of place sound. He furrowed his brow and glanced back in the direction smacking noise, taking note of a splintered hole in the wall that hadn't been there before.

Roy's heart stopped as he gaped at the hole. His eyes snapped over to Riza, who had immediately come to the same conclusion as him upon looking at it. They both knew what that was. It was a bullet hole. And it was smack dab in the place where his head would've been had he been standing up straight.

"Everybody get down!" Roy yelled. "There's a sniper!"

Instinctively, without any thought to himself (and oh, how Riza would cringe later at not knowing whether to be mad at him or not), Roy wrapped his arms around his son and pulled him into his arms, rushing away from where the gunman had been previously aiming. Aidan clung to him in a way that he hadn't done since he was one years-old, tightly gripping Roy's military jacket and burying his face into his neck. Roy's first and only thought was to get Aidan out of harm's way, but when he heard another bullet hit the wall, his mind leaped again.

"Riza!" Coming to a halt, Roy jerked his eyes around the room. He made sure to keep his back to the windows, so that if the gunman did have a shot on him, the bullet would hit him and not his son. Using his body as a shield wasn't ideal, but it was the only thing he could think of to do. "Riza!"

People were running around everywhere. It was absolute pandemonium. Maybe announcing that there was a bloody sniper hadn't been the smartest thing to do, but when he had been faced with the thought that his son might have to witness his father or mother get shot or worse, he hadn't really known what else to do. All he wanted to do was get his son and the love of his life out of harm's way, along with all the other people he cared about. Trying not to allow panic to swallow him entirely, Roy searched the crowd with wild eyes.

"Fuhrer Mustang!"

Roy nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt hands on his arms. He whipped around and found himself face-to-face with Alphonse Elric. The young man wore a determined expression, probably because he knew that he was dealing with a very panicky leader of a country. He had to appeal to Roy's higher nature. It was not going to work right now.

"Where's Riza?" Roy demanded. "Did you see her get out?"

"I saw her with Breda and Rebecca," Alphonse responded, "but I don't know where they went."

Trust Alphonse to always be honest with him. Roy didn't know whether or not he would've preferred some sort of sugarcoated version of the truth right now, if only because he felt like his heart might burst any second, but he was grateful for Alphonse's straightforwardness. Riza was sure as hell going to kill him once she found out that Roy had ordered Breda and Falman to make sure that she was taken care of first should anything happen, especially when he was supposed to be the top priority. There had been other protocols set to take place to take care of Aidan, but of course Roy couldn't bear the idea to let him go on his own, not when he had been forced to abandon his son for so long.

"I need to know that she's–"

"She's fine, Mustang," Havoc cut in, pushing his way through the fighting crowd. All of them ducked and even winced when another gunshot rang out, though Roy couldn't tell where it came from. He gripped onto his son tighter, willing his breath to slow down so that he could appear calm. Aidan was trembling in his arms. Roy felt like both crying and screaming at the fact that someone was making his son feel this way. "We need to get you and Aidan out of here."

Roy swallowed down the lump in his throat and nodded his head before following Havoc through the door that they had designated as one of the escape routes. They walked in silence, but the sound of the door shutting behind them and muffling the shouting was enough to jumpstart his heart again. When he glanced back at it, he saw that Alphonse was still with them, along with May Chang. She was holding onto the knives that she used for her alkehstry in her hands, casting suspicious glances everywhere. When she spotted him looking at her, May hid the knives up her sleeves, though he knew that they would still be in her grasp in a second if need be.

"You must have some experience in this," Roy managed to say, sounding remarkably composed. "I've heard that assassination attempts are frequent in Xing."

May nodded her head. "Even more so now that I am the Emperor's favored sister." A smile crossed her face. It looked quite earnest. He could see how she and Alphonse got along so well. "You're in safe hands though. And from what I saw before we left, no one was actually injured."

"Did you…? Did you see Edward?"

At her side, Alphonse stirred at his brother's name and it was only then did Roy realize that Alphonse was carrying the same nervous weight that Roy felt himself. Alphonse had seen Riza with Breda, but he hadn't seen where his brother had gone. He had jumped to save Roy and his son. Roy tried not to let his fear get the best of him, but then it was difficult. Riza wasn't with him. Fullmetal was out there without his alchemy…

"He grabbed Winry the moment you gave the warning," May answered, laying a hand on Alphonse's arm. "I saw him ushering her and Mrs. Hughes to cover."

Roy closed his eyes and leaned his head against his son's. Everyone that was important to him had been up front with him during the wedding. It would've been so easy to take them all out. They shouldn't have done this. A small and simple ceremony would've sufficed and not brought so much attention to them. Roy blinked his eyes open when hot tears stinging his eyes surprised him. He couldn't lose himself to his emotions, not right now.

"Where's Mom?" Aidan whimpered into his shoulder.

"She's fine," Roy murmured, even if he didn't know the truth himself. "She's with Uncle Breda. You know him. He's big and strong. He won't let anything happen to her."

God he hoped so. It was all he could do to not burst into a frenetic dash as it was. He knew that his heart would not be able to stop resting until Riza was in his grasp as well. Here he was, the leader of a country, and all it took was losing sight of one woman that nearly brought him to his knees. At least he had a hold on his son. He didn't want think about how Riza felt, being separated from the both of them. She had seen him grab Aidan, but after that, he didn't know what happened to her. Why wasn't she with him? What if…what if she had been shot?

No, no, he couldn't think like that. More than likely, while Breda and Catalina were attempting to get Riza to a safe place, she was fighting furiously with them about needing to find Roy and Aidan. Unlike him, she had never been separated from Aidan, so he could only imagine how mad it was driving her now.

When Roy turned his eyes ahead again to watch Havoc's back, he felt his stomach clench. He hadn't even stopped to think about how Havoc was feeling with his own wife out there. The two of them may have not gotten on perfectly well, but Roy had grown to appreciate the woman that Havoc loved. Of course the two of them had split up to take care of Roy and Riza. They took their duties as best man and maid of honor to another level. Still, Roy took note of the tight way Havoc was gripping his gun and the clenched look of his jaw. That was definitely the picture of a man trying not to think about his wife's life at stake in order to get the job done.

Easier said than done, much easier. Roy was having a difficult enough time of it himself. The only thing keeping him focused was the boy in his arms. To this incredible child's credit, while he shook in Roy's arms, he wasn't crying or panicking. He was so much like Riza in that respect, bundling up all his emotions to protect himself.

Havoc pointed at a door ahead of them. "Ross should have a car waiting out–"

His sentence was interrupted by a loud explosion as the door in question was blown open, followed immediately by what looked like a smoke screen bomb, which burst and flooded the hallway with smoke. Gunfire rang out in front of him from where Havoc most likely stood as he shot into the fog at anyone coming through the doorway. Alphonse shouted May's name and then there was a whizzing sound as five daggers slammed into the wall next to Roy, blue light crackling around him. When a bullet seemingly bounced away from him in midair, a red glow glinting where it hit an invisible wall, he bit back a gasp.

All Roy could do was curl his body around Aidan and put his back to everything. Switching his arms around so that he was holding Aidan with one arm, Roy dug around in his pockets, trying to snatch up one of his ignition gloves. It was difficult to put on a glove with one hand, but he knew that if he let go of Aidan, the boy would cry out in fear, drawing attention to them.

There was a shout that sounded like it came from May, and then everything came to a sudden halt.

Roy slowly turned around and took in the scene as the smoke began to clear the area. A man had hold of the princess, one arm wrapped around her neck while his other hand held a gun pressed to her temple. Alphonse was being held back by two others, who gripped his arms and kept his hands apart so that he wouldn't be able to produce any alchemy. There was a man and a woman lying on the ground near the door, not moving after being presumably shot. Havoc was slumped against the wall, holding onto a bleeding left arm and glaring up at the masked man pointing his own weapon at him.

Unable to stop himself, Roy started at the sight of his injured subordinate. "Havoc, are you–?"

"Just a flesh wound, sir," Havoc managed to grit out. "Bullets don't have anything on Homunculus."

Someone clapping from behind him caused Roy to swivel around again, only to find himself staring into the barrel of a gun pointed at his face. A man with dark hair and even darker eyes held the gun, his lips curled into a confident sneer, a face not terribly unlike Roy's own. He wore a suit and looked like he could've easily belonged at the wedding, but Roy had no clue who the man was, except that he was clearly the leader of this attack.

"I must hand it to you, Fuhrer," the unknown man said. "It was a beautiful ceremony, but you will have to forgive me for skipping to the festivities."

"Who are you?" Roy demanded.

The man shrugged his shoulders. "An entrepreneur, looking to make money." His sneer broadened, turning his expression into one of glee. "And you certainly helped me out, so please, thank you. I only came here for you, but then I find this?" He waved a hand in the direction of May, who struggled in her captor's grip and glowered at the man as he bowed before her. "Princess Chang, the prized sister to the Emperor of Xing, it is my pleasure to meet you. I know plenty of people that would pay quite a bit of money for you."

Whatever May said to the man in her native Xingese, Roy did not believe it was nearly as pretty as it sounded. The man must have spoken Xingese though because he let out a full belly guffaw when he stood up straight. "I heard that you were not the polished princess that people expect of you! Such spirit, such life. This shall be an excellent opportunity."

"Don't touch her!" Alphonse shouted, sounding shockingly furious. There were only a handful of times when Roy had actually seen the younger Elric brother in an angry state. Anger was typically Edward's domain. But judging from the way Alphonse jerked against the man holding him back and the irate glow in his golden eyes, perhaps it was more of a family trait.

"And I haven't forgotten you," the man said, stepping over to examine Alphonse closer. "Younger brother to the Fullmetal Alchemist, ambassador of Amestris to Xing, beloved by both countries. I've heard that you still retain your incredible alchemy abilities whereas your brother doesn't." He tapped his chin with his free hand and then stepped back. "I'm sure I could find some use of you."

Roy had to breathe through his nose to steady himself. The man was lucky that Edward didn't have his alchemy abilities anymore. If he had ever found out about the threat made against his brother, he would have no doubt lost his temper and some serious damage would've occurred. Roy wouldn't put it past Edward to find a way to inflict pain and retribution even without alchemy. Be that as it may though, Edward wasn't here.

"But you gave me an even better gift, Mustang," the man exclaimed in a cheery manner. "I know you are a man that values the people he cares about above himself, but they could perhaps persuade you to forget them, maybe even your beautiful wife." When he sneered again, that glee took a maniacal turn. This man didn't care about anything else other than getting the job done and took joy out of it too. There were no personal quarrels between the two of them, maybe the person that hired him, but not himself. No, this was a job. Roy was a job. That made things even colder. "You would do anything for your son, would you not?"

At the mention of him, Aidan clung to Roy even more and Roy instinctively stepped back, though there was nowhere that he could possibly run. With one hand still in his pocket, he tried to get a finger on his ignition glove without being obvious, but the strain was difficult to hide. Even worse though was that the man wasn't wrong. Riza would've smacked him upside the head before she let him sacrifice himself for her. Alphonse and May would insist that they could get out on their own. Havoc would proclaim it was his duty to sacrifice himself to protect the Fuhrer.

His son though? No, his son was innocent. His son was the reason that Roy did everything that he could to better the future. His son _was_ the future, in his eyes. Oh, how easily the once great Flame Alchemist could be knocked down and out.

"I'll come with you, quietly, no fuss," Roy began, "as long as you let them go."

"Sir!" Havoc snapped. "You can't–"

"You're here for me, right?" Roy interrupted, completely ignoring Havoc as he struggled to sit up and was shoved back down. "I won't fight. I'll be tame as can be. They have nothing to do with this. I'm the job. I'll make it easy for you."

Instead of thinking it over, the man only chuckled, which served to madden Roy further. "You are trying to bargain with me? Oh, no, Mustang, I do not believe you are the one holding the leverage here." He shook his head, like he was dealing with a child. "I could play this out – maybe shoot your man every thirty seconds that you do not hand yourself over. I wonder what would happen first: him bleeding out or you caving?"

Havoc swore under his breath, but he didn't move from his spot on the floor. Catalina would claw this man's eyes out for threatening her husband if she ever found out. Roy hated to think of what she would do to him if something like that were to ever happen. She'd never forgive him, but then he'd never forgive himself either.

"I could slowly carve through young Elric here," the man mused. Alphonse didn't even flinch, glaring back at the man with heated eyes, though May curse and tried to stomp at her captor's feet. "What was he to you back when his brother served under you? Was he not like a son to you before you had your own?"

He had been; he still was. Though Roy had adamantly refused to acknowledge the protective feelings and unusually warm thoughts towards the Elric boys back in the day, he wasn't able to lie to himself now, not when he recognized those amplified feelings whenever he looked at his own son. Roy hadn't done much in the way of being fatherly to Edward and Alphonse, but he had cared about them in his own way, tried to protect them, and most importantly, wanted to see them succeed and accomplish their goals. And they had. Alphonse had his body back – a body of flesh and blood that could easily be damaged unlike the metal body he'd had before.

"But no, I will cut to the chase. I have a deadline to make, after all." The man pointed the gun at Roy's face again and then dropped his aim a little lower. Roy's heart plummeted into his stomach. "Take your hand out of your pocket carefully, discard the ignition glove that you are attempting to put on, and come here nice and slow – or I will kill your son. It is as simple as that."

"You'd kill an innocent child?" May gasped, staring at the man with impossibly wide eyes.

The man gave her such a blasé look, though the aim of his gun never wavered. "For the price I am being paid to eliminate this man, I would kill as many people as the Flame Alchemist has himself."

Roy swallowed down the lump in his throat as his heart slowly began to beat again. Strange how it wasn't racing anymore, even with what he was faced with. He felt his son shift against him, wrapping his arms around Roy's check, his messy dark hair tickling Roy's cheek. Aidan had never held onto him like this before. It was normally what he did with Riza, whenever he was frightened or confused. At night, he only wanted to wake up Roy if he had a nightmare, but he would never cling to Roy for a source of comfort and strength, not like this.

So of course he knew what he had to do. Roy closed his eyes and breathed deeply. There was nothing else that he could do. He could only pray that they would be safe and let go after whatever happened to him. As far as he knew, they could still be kidnapped, injured, or worse – but he knew that those things would happen for a fact if he did not do as he was told. He'd die before letting anything happen to Aidan though. Riza would just have to forgive him for yet another thing.

With care, Roy pulled his hand out of his pocket and allowed the ignition glove to slip off his fingers and onto the floor. He held up his bare hand for a second before placing it over his son's head and burying his face into the boy's hair. "I'm going to sit you down now. When I do, I need you to go to Uncle Havoc."

Aidan let out a panicked whine and gripped the back of his jacket. "Dad, no!"

"I have to do this, Aidan. Everything will be okay." Tears began to prick at Roy's eyes, but he shoved them away. There was no room for that. He didn't have the right to them anyways. He'd been living his life with a gun trained at his back for so long. This didn't feel much different. "Please, go to your uncle."

It took an incredible amount of strength that Roy hadn't been sure he possessed to set Aidan down on the ground, even as he struggled to hold on. His breath caught in his throat as he let his son go and pulled away from him. For a moment, he watched as Aidan fought with himself, torn between wanting to launch himself to wrap his arms around Roy's legs and doing as he was told. Aidan stilled himself though and stared up at him with watery dark eyes, a tumultuous storm of emotions rattling about in them.

It was the most open that Aidan had ever been with his feelings to Roy. Honestly, he considered himself lucky to have seen it once.

"That's it, hands up," the man called out. "Now over here – to me."

Tearing his eyes away from his son's, eyes that looked so much like his own, Roy steeled himself, forcing a blank expression on his face, and walked over to the man pointing the gun at his son. A large part of him didn't want to look back at his son, terrified of what he would see, but then he couldn't bear the idea of not seeing him again. He didn't want his son's fearful face to be the last thing he saw, but he didn't want anything else either. God, he wished Riza was here to hold Aidan. She would be able to protect him.

"Turn around," the man ordered. Roy did as he was told, his hands in the air. "Get on your knees."

Roy went to his knees one at a time, his eyes focused on his son. The boy hadn't gone to Havoc, but had glued himself to the floor where Roy had placed him. He begged with his son with his eyes for him to go to Havoc, but Aidan didn't move. His face was closed off again, reminding him so much of Riza. It was the only way he could protect himself now, thoroughly alone. Havoc tried to get up again and moved to grab Aidan, but the person guarding him hit him in the head with the butt of his gun, knocking him back down.

"Mustang, you can't!" Alphonse shouted.

"Sir," Havoc groaned out, blood dripping down the side of his face now.

Roy felt the muzzle of the gun pressed into the back of his head. He relaxed his entire body and a weak smile twitched onto his face. "Close your eyes, little Bug."

"Daddy," was the only thing that Aidan could warble out, tears pooling in his eyes. It was the first time in a very long time since his son called him that. It was enough. It was more than enough really.

"You'll be fine. I love you. Tell your mom that I love her and I'm sorry I couldn't fulfill my promise." Roy nearly began to shake himself at that, but then he forced himself to stop.

No, he'd had enough, hadn't he? He had been given more than he expected, more than he could dream of, more than he'd ever deserved. After all that he had done, the universe had still seen it fit to bless him. He had been loved and loved in return. He'd been able to hold Riza in his arms, run his thumb along her cheek, felt her heart beat next to his, held her hand in his own, kissed every inch of her. He'd been given a son, an incredibly bright young boy that didn't fear him, that was perhaps the only person in Amestris to have never feared him on some level. A son who he could not always acknowledge, but never faulted him for it, only accepted it. A child that he'd never dreamed of having but could envision his life without anymore.

The gun clicked. Roy almost chuckled. Yeah, it was enough.

"Close your eyes, Bug."

A single gunshot rang out in the air, echoing in the hallway, and then there was silence.


	3. Relief

**Author's Notes:** Just so you all know, I didn't mean to leave everyone on a cliffhanger for so long. No internet means no posting, which sucks indeed. Thank you everyone for sticking with me and reading! It means a lot.

* * *

 **i would part the sea**  
 _part three: relief_

* * *

A single gunshot rang out in the air, echoing in the hallway, and then there was silence.

Still on his knees with his hands in the air, Roy blinked. Aidan stood completely rigid in front of him wearing an expression that spoke of terror and also wonder, his dark eyes wider than ever before and his eyebrows raised, almost like he had seen a ghost.

The sound of something hitting the floor like a sack of potatoes almost made him start. He somehow managed to tear his eyes away from his son and look back at the slumped and prone body of the man that had been holding a gun to his head seconds ago. Blood began to seep out of his head and pool around him, his gun lying slack in his hand.

That was when it hit Roy, like a punch to the gut that forced him to suck in air. He hadn't been shot. Instead, his would-be assassin had been shot by…

"Not on my watch," Riza proclaimed in a flat tone as she lowered her own handgun. She wore a hardened look on her face, her normally bright eyes filled with a cold glow, her lips pressed together in a thin line. Despite the fact that she was still in her wedding dress, she looked remarkably like the soldier that had promised to guard his back all those years ago.

It was only when they connected eyes with one another did that sight fade away. He saw shame in them, not because she had killed a man. She probably felt guilt for having not been here with them the entire time, at almost failing to protect them. When her eyes flickered to their son, he watched as she pulled back in on herself, reigning in her pain, the same way that Aidan did, as he had learned it from her. Now Roy recognized the look on Aidan's face and the shame in Riza's eyes.

She had killed a man in front of him. Roy knew immediately that Riza would be plagued with the fear that Aidan would see her as a killer and not as his greatest protector and source of comfort.

Just as Roy opened his mouth, the man pointing a gun at Havoc leaped forward to grab hold of Aidan. Before Roy could do anything, the man was stopped dead in his tracks when Riza snapped the gun up in his direction, aiming it directly at his head. "Don't you dare touch my son," she growled.

"Mom!" Aidan burst out, as if coming back to life. He ran full speed towards her, past Roy, and Riza bent down just in time to catch him in one of her arms, the gun still trained at the other man. Of course he would go to her. Riza was Aidan's rock, his constant, his guiding light, just as she was Roy's. It would make sense that the first thing he did was the same thing that Roy wanted to do himself. Riza pressed the side of her face into Aidan's hair, kissing the top of his head, and held onto him tightly, but she never looked away from the man she was holding at gunpoint or closed her eyes. They weren't in the clear yet.

With their leader down, it was clear that the other lackeys were frightened and unsure of themselves, making things a little more dangerous for their hostages still. The men holding onto Alphonse and May looked at each other somewhat nervously. The one holding onto May pressed his gun into her temple and began to back up towards the blown out door, using the princess as a human shield. "If you don't let us go, I'll shoot her!"

"I'd reconsider that statement if I were you."

The man jerked around, only to find that Catalina stood behind him and was pointing her service weapon at him. Unlike the stony expression on Riza's face, Catalina's was all fury. She was not afraid to put her sharp shooting skills to the test if the man made any rash decisions. The man's eyes nearly bulged out of his head when Roy began to stand up and pulled out his other ignition glove from his pocket. Due to his distraction, he didn't notice when May was able to slide a knife out of sleeve and grip it in between her fingers; he did notice when she flicked it as hard as she could into his foot, causing him to let go of her and howl in pain. He only stopped when Catalina hit him in the back of the head with the butt of her gun, collapsing into a silent heap on the ground.

With Havoc picking up the gun the man dropped, he and his wife aimed their weapons towards the men that were holding Alphonse hostage. Seeing that they were more than outnumbered, they both immediately let go of the younger Elric and threw their hands up in the air. Roy was caught off guard as five daggers slipped from May's fingers like water, slamming into the wall in a perfect circle. Her alkehstry burst to life as stone bindings were created from the wall and wrapped the men snugly into place, similar in style to Alphonse's own alchemy.

It was a bit shocking to see the normally cheerful princess so infuriated as she shook with anger, casting glares at the captive men and then a disgusted look at the dead body of the man that had nearly killed Roy. "To use an innocent child like that!" She only stopped shaking when Alphonse reached out for her, touching her on the shoulder. The furious face that had briefly touched his face was gone, replaced by one of comfort and something that looked a lot like sadness. She immediately melted, huffing once, before throwing her around his middle and pressing her face into his chest.

Roy rubbed at his mouth, watching the scene unfold before him and making sure that everyone was okay before he allowed himself to crack. If he looked back at Riza and Aidan, he knew that he would not be able to focus on anything else and he was frightened by what he would find, so he looked onward. Alphonse smiled down at May and wrapped his arms around her before looking up to Roy and nodding his head, confirming that they were alright. At least he could breathe a sigh in relief there.

Havoc was dragging himself to his feet, using the wall as a prop, and pressing a hand against his bleeding arm when Catalina rushed over towards him. She'd put her gun away while he still had a hold of his. Immediately she put one hand on his side to help steady him as she examined the multiple wounds that he'd suffered. "You big idiot, getting yourself shot," she grumbled. "You stepped in front of Mustang, didn't you?"

"Better a Captain than the Fuhrer," Havoc pointed out with a weak grin. Just as quick as it came though, the grin fell away from his face, panic suddenly appearing in his eyes. "Brandon?"

"He stayed with Fuery, just like we told him to," Catalina replied coolly as she looked at his head wound closer.

Catalina was still intently examining him when Havoc reached down with his free hand and pressed it against her slightly swollen belly, which stopped her inspection and got her to look him in the eyes. "And you two?" His touch was gentle. They contrasted each other so much, what with the bedraggled and bloody state his suit was in and the pristine look of her bridesmaid gown.

"We're fine," Catalina said in a much softer voice, smiling when Havoc leaned down to press his forehead against hers. She didn't seem to mind that blood got on her and ruined her makeup. Shouts from both sides signaled that help was on the way and Roy looked away from husband and wife to give them a private moment.

Now that he knew that everyone was okay though, Roy also could not avoid what he feared any longer. Sooner or later, he was going to have to come face-to-face with his son and admit to his wife that he had failed on some level to protect their son. Once again, he had managed to put an innocent life in danger. The truth was though, while he was terrified of confronting them, every inch of his soul ached to see them, to pull them both into his arms, to know that they were okay. He wanted to kiss Riza and hug Aidan and feel the warmth of their bodies, hear the beats of their hearts, feel the tickle of their breath on his skin.

When Roy turned around, it felt like the air was sucked out of his lungs. Riza was standing up straight and facing him, but Aidan was in her arms, clinging to her as tight as could be and his face buried in the crook of her neck. The side of her face was pressed against their son's head, her eyes closed and her face twisted into an expression of pain and relief at the same time, as she held onto him. Roy couldn't help but notice that she still had a hold of the gun in one of her hands, like she was afraid that she would need to use it again to protect him.

A piece of Roy's heart shattered. That was what he hadn't done, right? He hadn't been able to protect his son, not completely at least.

As if feeling eyes on them, Riza's opened and immediately locked onto his eyes. A storm of emotions clouded her eyes to the point where he couldn't pinpoint them all, reminding him so much of Aidan's eyes when Roy had been forced to sit him down. Roy's heart leaped into his throat and he nearly choked. It honestly felt as if time stood still in this moment. Once again, he felt locked away from them, unable to join them, on the outside desperately looking in.

But then there was a upwards swoop of the corner of her lips that he could see, and Roy practically stumbled towards them. When he wrapped his arms around them both, he closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. He could smell the rose perfume that Riza had put on and his own cologne that Aidan must've sneakily put on when Roy wasn't looking. Unexpected and yet not entirely unwelcomed, a few tears managed to slip out from underneath his eyelids and dropped onto his son's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," Roy pleaded, silently asking for their forgiveness as he kissed his son on the head and then Riza on the cheek. "I'm so sorry–"

"I should've been with you," Riza mumbled, sounding extraordinarily hurt.

Roy opened his eyes and caught the regretful expression on her face. It suddenly occurred to him that she not only felt guilty about her son having witnessed her kill a man, but also at having not been here to protect him. It was still her job to guard his back and keep him safe. And in her mind, because she had been separated from him, she had failed him. She wasn't only Roy's protector, but she was Aidan's guardian as well.

"You still saved me," Roy pointed out. His gaze dropped down to their son, who was still clinging to Riza as if he was afraid she would vanish if he let go. Lifting one hand up, he ran his fingers through Aidan's dark hair. His touch seemed to stir a bit of life into the boy, but he didn't pull his head from Riza's shoulder. "I only wish that I could have…"

He only wished what? That he could have spared his son the horror of nearly witnessing his father's murder? Roy had pleaded with the entire universe in his mind for Aidan to simply close his eyes, but the boy was too stubborn. It was like telling Riza to stay back and out of danger, only for her to disregard his orders and follow him into hell anyways.

All Roy could do was hope that Aidan was too young for him to remember most of what had happened today, but he was terrified that one of his first few memories that he could recall would be the time that his father was forced onto his knees and had a gun put to the back of his head. Would he grow to resent Roy for giving up so easily? Would he one day look down on him and scoff him for his weakness, for his immediate surrender? He was supposed to be the Fuhrer of Amestris, and it had taken a simple threat to bring him to his knees and accept his death so willingly.

"I've hurt him again, haven't I?" Roy murmured regretfully, tearing his eyes away, a burst of anger towards himself blossoming in his chest. The hand on Riza's back clenched into a fist, bundling the fabric of her dress. A sudden urge to scream wound its way inside of him. How useless could one man be when it came to protecting his family? "I'm a terrible father."

Aidan stirred in Riza's arms again, but this time, he pulled his head away from her. When he turned to face Roy, he didn't look up at him, keeping his eyes cast down. His arms, however, slid from Riza's neck and he twisted his body. When he held out his arms to Roy, silently asking for him, Roy's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. Never once had Aidan ever done something like this. The only time Aidan went to Roy instead of Riza was when his mother was asleep. If Riza held him, he never wanted anyone else.

The simple memory of Roy getting out of bed in the middle of the night and Aidan holding up his arms to be picked up came to him so vividly that it was like he was seeing that image side-by-side with Aidan now. It nearly stopped his breathing entirely.

His son wanted him. His son wanted his _father_.

A small smile escaped from Roy as he gently plucked Aidan from Riza's arms, his fingers sliding through his son's unruly hair as he splayed his hand on the back of his head. This time, when he breathed, a sweet relief filled his chest. He closed his eyes again and simply held his son against him. He felt Riza lay a hand on his arm and he twitched the fingers of his other hand until she gripped them with her other hand, the gun finally put away. It was only then that his heart truly began to steady itself, slowly returning to normal.

"You're a good dad," Aidan mumbled into his shoulder, so quietly that Roy almost didn't catch the words. He opened his eyes again and glanced down at Aidan, who wasn't moving. Maybe he had imagined them in a hopeful sort of fever. But then Aidan's grip tightened on the back collar of Roy's jacket. "You're _my_ dad."

Roy's smile broadened. "That's right. I'm your dad. You're my Bug."

Aidan sniffed and leaned back slightly, finally lifting his eyes so that they were connected to his. They were so much like his own, dark and reflective, except now they were filled with a shiny film of tears. His cheeks were already puffy from crying and Roy noticed the tearstain on Riza's shoulder. So much like his. "I don't want you to leave," his son cried. "I don't want you to leave us ever again. Mom is sad when you aren't home and I miss you. Don't leave us again."

"I won't," Roy breathed out, pulling Aidan closer to him again as the little boy hiccupped on a cry and then sniffed a few more times. "I'm not leaving. I'm gonna be with you both from now on."

Riza smiled at them both and leaned her cheek against Aidan's back, whispering soothing words to him. Roy pictured all the times that she must have done that for him.

The nights when Aidan, his sleep schedule always so erratic and his dreams so vivid, would wake up in the middle of the night to bug him for a story, only to find Riza alone in bed. How he probably crawled into the bed and woke Riza up just enough where she would wrap him up in her arms under the blanket and he'd curl into a little ball as she promised that Roy would be back soon.

The days when they were out in public together and Aidan had to bite his tongue and call him "sir" or "General" or "Fuhrer" or "Mustang," anything but his first name or true title. Once they were home, Aidan would grow silent and distant until Riza sat down and played with his toy cars with him, the toys that Roy had bought him for his birthday because Roy let Aidan sit in his lap behind the wheel to pretend drive when they were parked. And Riza would tell him that his father loved him and wished more than anything that he could be there with them.

As far as Roy knew, Aidan had never once questioned why he couldn't acknowledge Roy as his father in public. It was an astonishing fact. Surely he had wondered. Surely it had confused him and made him feel distraught. Roy could only hope that Aidan had never once felt unwanted or abandoned, but judging from the way that Aidan was gripping onto him now, it was clear that he didn't feel it now at least.

Roy connected eyes with Riza again. She gave him that same soft smile that she'd worn when standing at the altar in front of him before everything had gone to hell. She was breathtaking still. He loved her. He loved her so much that it hurt.

If anyone had told him that he would fall in love so painfully with the young girl that had done her best to avoid him for his first months in her home while he studied alchemy, he probably would've laughed. Her? That girl? Sure, she'd made him soup and sandwiches and cleaned up after him, but she had been so quiet and serious. She was more like a ghost than a person to him, even if he had been curious about her. Getting her to open up had been just as difficult as learning alchemy.

But in a way, getting her to do so and becoming friends with her had been a lot like his first transmutation. He'd offered bits of himself, his history, his friendship, his help, in return for her own. His friendship for hers. Her kindness for his. His care for hers. Her protection for his. His love for hers. Her life for his. He may have been her superior officer, but they had always treated each other as equals on some level. He could and would not go anywhere without her and she refused to follow anyone but him.

Their lives had been a strange mess, tangled and interwoven so much that it was hard to tell where his life ended and hers began, but Roy wouldn't have traded it for anything. The only thing stopping him from facing down Truth itself for her was Riza herself. Then again, that was part of the reason why he loved her so much. She was so much stronger than he was in the end, and that was something he'd needed to become the man he was today.

Roy squeezed Riza's fingers and kissed the side of Aidan's head. Already, he could feel Aidan hold on him slipping, the events of the day having thoroughly exhausted him.

"Oy, Mustang!"

Looking up, Roy caught sight of Edward trotting towards them, Breda and Falman hot on his heels. "You're a bit late."

Edward came to a skidding halt when he spotted the bodies on the ground, specifically the one of Roy's would-be assassin. He blinked and locked eyes with Riza, who stared back blankly and nodded her head. Edward took in a breath and swept his eyes over the rest of the scene, watching as Breda went to help Catalina with Havoc, who was insisting he was fine, and then turning to Alphonse and May. Edward perked right up at the sight of his younger brother and the Xingese princess.

"We're okay, Brother," Alphonse spoke up before Edward could even say anything. "Where's Winry?"

"She's with the kids, Mrs. Hughes, and Elicia." Edward walked over to them, not scrutinizing them any less despite Alphonse's words. "Was anyone hurt?"

Alphonse inclined his head forward. "We were lucky, although Captain Havoc was injured."

May came to at that, pulling herself out of Alphonse's arms. She muttered to herself under her breath as she walked over to where Catalina and Breda were trying to convince Havoc to sit back down. He immediately stopped struggling when May walked in between the two of them and poked Havoc in the chest. "Stand still," she ordered. Quickly she drew a circle on the ground, similar to the one that she had drawn to save Riza's life, if Roy was not mistaken. Once Havoc stepped into it, she activated the transmutation circle. The three soldiers gasped in surprise when they realized that most of Havoc's injuries were closed up. "I'm sorry I didn't think to do this sooner, Captain."

"It's…" Havoc scratched the back of his head. Roy could tell that despite his amazement, he was at least a little unsure of himself and didn't know how to respond. After all, he didn't have the good kind of alchemy used on him very often. "No, thank you, Your…Majesty?"

As May chuckled and walked back over to smiling Alphonse and scowling Edward, Catalina quirked an eyebrow at her husband. "Oh, so you listen to her, but not us?"

Havoc shrugged his shoulders, grinning at her sheepishly. "She's a princess. You don't disobey royalty."

"I'm your _wife_ and mother of your children!"

"You would've been seriously worried about me if I did listen to you right away without arguing," Havoc pointed out. "Pretty sure you would've thought I had a serious head injury."

Roy shook his head at them and then turned to look back at Riza, who was wearing something of an amused expression. In his arms, Aidan had grown still, his breathing soft and quiet. It was all Roy needed to hear to know that Aidan had fallen asleep. "Let's get him home."

Sighing, the amused look on her face gave way to a frown. "There's so much that has to be done here…"

"And it will get done, I assure you," Roy told her, "but right now, I just want to go home with my wife and son."

Riza's face only softened marginally, but it was enough for him to know that he'd won. He could tell that she wanted to do the same thing – just get away from this mess and cuddle up in bed together, all three of them, safe and alive. As much as he wanted to be with her, to really feel alive, he couldn't stand the idea of being parted from Aidan for even a little tonight.

"You go on ahead, sir," Falman said.

"We can handle things for now," Breda added.

Roy nodded his head gratefully. When Havoc looked ready to follow Breda, Roy cut in, "Stay with your family. Go get your son. I know it's killing you." Though Havoc looked somewhat guilty at having been caught red-handed in not thinking about his duties towards his superior officer, it took him a second before he opened his mouth to argue. "That's an order, Captain."

Havoc saluted him. "Yes, sir."

"An order from Mustang that I can agree with?" Catalina sighed as the two of them hurried to where Fuery was keeping their son safe. "Maybe he has the head injury."

Roy grinned faintly to himself as Riza rolled her eyes. No, he didn't have a head injury. Roy just knew that after a day like this, the only thing that was going to make anyone feel better was to be with their family. Havoc needed the reassurance of holding his son just as much as Roy did his own. He needed to kiss his wife and hug his boy and be alone with them to center their little world. That was something Roy could understand all too well. After all, it was exactly what he needed and, even though the wedding ceremony hadn't been completed, it was something that he could finally have and that was all that mattered to him in this moment.


End file.
